Transporting and storage container adapted to be stacked



May 19, 1970 3,512,696

TRANSPORTING AND STORAGE CONTAINER ADAPTED TO BE STAC'KED c, EBERT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 9, 1968 Fig. 4

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TRANSPORTING AND STORAGE CONTAINER ADAPTED TO BE STACKEb Filed April 9, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. (/2706 gar/- C. EBERT May 19, 1970 TRANSPORTING AND STORAGE CONTAINER ADAPTED TO BE STACKED. Filed April 9. 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 67006 -E.or/

1970 c. EBERT TRANSPQRTING AND STORAGE CONTAINER ADAPTED TO BE STACKED Filed April 9. 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Fig. 9

INVENTOR. C7 3 adv/- United States Patent ()fice 3,512,696 Patented May 19, 1970 3,512,696 TRANSPORTING AND STORAGE CONTAINER ADAPTED TO BE STACKED Claus Ebert, Schonberg, Taunus, Germany, assignor to Iltur AG, Binningen, Switzerland Filed Apr. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 719,901 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Apr. 10, 1967, 5,072/ 67 Int. Cl. B65d /20, 5/42, 9/34 U.S. Cl. 229-30 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A transport and storage container, preferably made to a major portion of cardboard, which is formed by tuming the cut flaps of a cut upwardly so that there is formed a bottom wall and folded-up side walls, which includes reinforcing rigid frame means arranged near the upper edge of the thus formed container, and connecting means detachably connecting said frame means to said turned-up side walls.

The present invention relates to a transporting and storage container adapted to be stacked, which has the form of a box open at the top. The bottom and Walls of said container consist of a one-piece cut and are adapted to be folded upwardly while said container at its upper edge is provided with reinforcing means which at the same time serve as guiding means for a similar container to be stacked thereon.

Various types of transporting and storage containers adapted to be stacked have become known. Containers of this type are in most instances made of wood, metal, or synthetic material and have their upper edge defining the opening of the container provided with guiding strips which permit a safe stacking of the individual containers.

In addition to the above, also a storage container of cardboard has become known the bottom and walls of which form a single-piece cut and in folded-up condition are held together by means of wire brackets. In order to permit the stacking of a plurality of such containers one above the other, each of the containers has its upper edge provided with a carbon strip which serves for guiding the containers to be stacked and which is connected to the walls by means of wire brackets.

While the containers made of wood, metal, or synthetic material are rather expensive to produce, the container made of cardboard has the drawback that it cannot be subjected to any material stress and therefore, has only a short life span. All of the heretofore known containers have the drawback that in non-used condition they take up too much space for transport and storage.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a transport and storage container adapted to be stacked, which will have the form of a box open at the top and which is sufficiently sturdy so as to have a longer life than heretofore known containers of the type involved.

It is another object of this invention to provide a container as set forth in the preceding paragraph which can be produced at relatively low cost and which will require considerably less space for transport and stocking than heretofore known containers of the above-mentioned type.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a cut for a container according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a container made of the cut shown in FIG. 1;

Claims i FIG. 3 is an end view of the container of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the container of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a container forming a sight box;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a cover intended for the container of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates on an enlarged scale a section through a side wall of a container according to the invention;

FIG. 8 is a side view of a container provided with a flap for closing the inclined sight section;

FIG. 9 is a vertical section through the upper portion of a side wall;

FIG. 10 is a side view of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 represents a section through an additional embodiment of a reinforcing frame connected to a side wa l of the container;

FIG. 12 illustrates a further design of the profile of the reinforcing frame with a container lined with foil; and

FIG. 13 is an isometric illustration of a holding pin employed in connection with FIGS. 11 and 12.

The above-outlined objects have been realized according to the present invention by the fact that the out which is produced of easily foldable material, for instance of cardboard, is in its folded-up condition held by a reinforcing frame which consists of a rigid material, for instance, of synthetic material or light metal, and is detachably connected to the respective adjacent wall portions of the folded-up container.

The container built up of a foldable cut and a rigid reinforcing frame can be produced at low cost. The cuts in the reinforcing frames are stored and transported separately from each other so that a minimum of space is required therefor. The folding-up of the container is possible within a minimum of time in a simple manner so that at any desired time, the required containers can be made up by an unskilled worker. The container according to the present invention is suitable not only for the storing of corresponding goods but also for the transport of such goods within and outside of the respective premises while the strength and the specific material for the cut as well as for the reinforcing frames may be selected in conformity with the respective requirements and goods to be transported.

According to a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing frame has a Z-shaped cross-section one leg of which engages the inner surface of the walls while the intermediate leg is parallel to the upper edge of the walls, and finally, the other leg which forms a guiding strip, points upwardly. In order to permit a precise location of the walls of the cut, the reinforcing frame is in conformity with the invention provided with guiding portions intended for engagement with the outer surface of the walls.

According to a further feature of the invention, the reinfo'rcing frame is detachably connected to the Walls by means of holding pins. These holding pins may be of various designs. According to one embodiment, the holding pins are provided with a head section and are guided in the lower leg of the reinforcing frame as well as in a bearing member by means of which the reinforcing frame is at least within the range of the holding pin reinforced in such a way that it extends around the upper edge of the walls in a U-shaped manner.

According to another embodiment, the holding pins form a single piece with the reinforcing frame and are preferably arranged on supporting arms. These supporting arms with the holding pins may be tiltably arranged on the reinforcing frame, for instance by providing an intended bending area which will form a kind of hinge.

In order, especially with heavy containers, to provide a sufiicient supporting surface for the container thereabove, the reinforcing frame may in conformity with a further feature of the invention be provided with an additional supporting rim extending horizontally with regard to the interior of the container. The leg forming the guiding strip and pertaining to the reinforcing frame may be provided with horizontal slots which serve for receiving connecting flaps or the like of a cover closing the opening of the container.

Furthermore, the reinforcing frame may have a number of vertical pairs of grooves serving for receiving vertical partitions.

According to still another feature of the invention, a side wall of the container while forming an inclined sight known per se may be partially cut out, and the reinforcing frame may be extended correspondingly in order to increase the accessibility to the container also in stacked condition thereof. The inclined sight section is in conformity with the invention adapted to be closed by a preferably transparent flap which is located on the reinforcing frame. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the said flap has at its lower portion a laterally protruding stud of longitudinal cross-section. These studs can be introduced only in a certain position of the flap into respective recesses with decreased mouth, said recesses being provided on the reinforcing frame. The said studs can be withdrawn in a corresponding position and are secured in any other position of the flap against accidental dropping out.

If the transporting and storage container according to the invention is intended for pourable or liquid goods, it may, according to a further feature of the invention, be lined with a water-tight foil which is connected to the cut by means of the reinforcing frame and the holding pins.

Referring now to the drawings in deail, the embodiment shown in FIGS. l-4 concerns a parallelepiped-shaped container which is produced from a cut 1 in conformity with FIG. 1 and from a reinforcing frame 2. Cut 1 has a bottom 1b and four walls 1a which are folded along the dotdash lines. When the out has assumed this folded-up condition, the reinforcing frame 2 is placed thereon, which frame is provided with supporting arms and holding pins 3 which extend through cutouts in the walls 1a of the cut 1 and thus detachably connect the reinforcing frame 2 to the cut 1.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the container forms a so-called stock sighting box with an in clined sight 9 arranged at one side of said box. The reinforcing frame 2 is correspondingly extended downwardly.

The profile of the reinforcing frame 2 is Z-shaped (see FIGS. 7 and 9) so that one leg 2a engages the inner surface of the wall 1a, whereas the connecting web 2b is parallel to the upper edge of the wall 1a, and the other leg 2c extends upwardly and forms guiding means.

In order to assure a good mounting of the wall 1a on the reinforcing frame 2, the latter is provided with guiding portions 2d which engage the outside surface of walls 1a. Such guiding parts 2d are clearly shown in FIGS. 25.

The reinforcing frame 2 of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 is provided with horizontally extending slots 6 for receiving ears 7a of a cover 7, which latter is illustrated, for instance, in FIG. -6. The cars 7a of said cover 7 may be so designed that after being passed through the slots 6 they are at a right angle bent downwardly and are held by holding pins 3. Furthermore, the reinforcing frame 2 may be provided with pairs of grooves 2 adapted for receiving a partition 8, as illustrated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 5.

It is also possible to equip the reinforcing frame 2 with an inwardly horizontally extending additional supporting rim 2c in order to increase the supporting surface for another identical container, as shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 represents a stock sight box with an inclined sighting area 9 which is adapted to be closed by means of a fiap or gate 10. Said flap or gate 10 is preferably made of transparent material. The lower portion of gate 10 has laterally protruding stud means 10a of an oblong crosssection. These studs or pivots 10a can be introduced only in a certain position of gate 10 into respective cutouts 11 which are provided in the reinforcing frame 2 and have a reduced entrance and outlet slot and can also be withdrawn only in the said position, so that the gate 10 is in any other position secured against accidental dropping out.

The holding pins 3 for connecting the Walls 1a of cut 1 to the reinforcing frame 2 may be designed in various ways. FIG. 9 shows an arrangement of holding pins 3 on supporting arms 5 according to which the holding pins 3 form one single integral piece with the reinforcing frame 2. According to a modification illustrated in FIG. 5, the supporting arms 5 extend downwardly to the bottom 1b of the cut 1, and grooves 51 are provided for guiding the partitions 8.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate that it is possible to pivotally arrange the supporting arm 5 equipped with holding pins 3 on the reinforcing frame 2 by reducing the cross-section and forming a bending area which will act in the manner of a hinge.

Finally, it is also possible according to FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 to design the holding pins 3 as separate elements which are passed through the walls 1a into the reinforcing frame 2. For precisely mounting the holding pins 3 of this design, it is necessary to form a bearing part 4 on the reinforcing frame 2 so that the reinforcing frame will at least within the area of the holding pin 3 extend around the upper edge of the walls 1a in a U-shaped manner. The bearing part 4 serves as guiding means for the holding pin 3 and as support for the head piece 3a of said holding pin 3. The bearing parts 4 may form a single piece with the reinforcing frame 2, as shown in FIG. 12, or they may be connected thereto as shown in FIG. 11.

If the containers are intended to receive pourable or liquid material, they may be covered by a foil 12 which is connected to the walls 1a of the container by means of the reinforcing means 2 and the holding pins 3 thereof. Such a design according to which the end of the foil 12 is passed over the upper edge of wall 1a, is illustrated in FIG. 12.

It is, of course, to be understood, that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular constructions shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A stackable transport and storage container having as a first main part a pre-cut member comprising a bottom wall and side walls integral in one piece with said bottom wall and readily folded up relative to said bottom wall so as to form a box open at the top, which includes a second main part comprising a reinforcing rigid frame means arranged near the upper edge of the thus formed container, said reinforcing rigid frame means simultaneously serving as a guide for a corresponding container stackable thereon, and connecting means detachably connecting said reinforcing rigid frame means to said side walls, said first and second main parts being readily separated and connected with respect to each other so that said first main part in separate folded-fiat condition occupies only a fractional part of space otherwise occupied during interconnecting of first and second main parts with respect to each other.

2. A container according to claim 1, in which said reinforcing rigid frame means is of approximately Z-shaped cross-section having one leg in engagement with the inner side wall surface and having the other leg upwardly forming guiding strip means while the intermediate web interconnecting said two legs is approximately parallel to the upper edges of said side walls.

3. A container according to claim 1, in which said reinforcing rigid frame means is provided with guiding portions for engagement with the outer surface of the side walls.

4. A container according to claim 1, in which the connecting means are formed by pin means detachably secured between said reinforcing frame means and said side walls.

5. A transport and storage container having a bottom wall and side Walls integral with said bottom Wall and folded up relative to said bottom wall so as to form a box open at the top, which includes reinforcing rigid frame means arranged near the upper edge of the thus formed container, and connecting means detachably connecting said frame means to said side walls, connecting means formed by pin means detachably connecting the reinforcing frame means to said side walls, said reinforcing frame means being provided with leg means extending in the direction of the height of said side walls, the lower ends of said leg means carrying said pin means. a

6. A transport and storage container having a bottom wall and side Walls integral with said bottom wall and folded up relative to said bottom wall so as to form a box open at the top, which includes reinforcing rigid frame means arranged near the upper edge of the thus formed container, and connecting means detachably connecting said frame means to said side Walls, said frame means comprising means of U-shaped cross-section engaging the upper portion of said sides thereof.

7. A container according to claim 5, in which said pin means and said reinforcing frame means are integral with each other.

8. A container according to claim 5, in which said reinforcing frame means has flexibly connected thereto arm means carrying said pin means, said arm means being adapted to be fixed into engagement with the respective adjacent side wall means.

9. A container according to claim 1, in which said reinforcing rigid frame means has additionally a supporting margin near its upper edge and extending substantially parallel thereto.

10. A transport and storage container having a bottom wall and side Walls integral with said bottom wall and folded up relative to said bottom wall so as to form a box open at the top, which includes reinforcing rigid frame means arranged near the upper edge of the thus formed container, and connecting means detachably connecting said frame means to said side walls, said frame means being of approximately Z-shaped cross-section having one leg in engagement with the inner side wall surface and having the other leg forming guiding strip means while the intermediate web interconnecting said two legs is approximately parallel to the upper edges of said side walls, the legs forming said guiding strip means being provided with horizontal slots for receiving the corresponding tongues of a cover for closing said container.

11. A transport and storage container having a bottom wall and side walls integral with said bottom wall and folded up relative to said bottom wall so as to form a box open at the top, which includes reinforcing rigid frame means arranged near the upper edge of the thus formed container, and connecting means detachably connecting said frame means to said side walls, said reinforcing frame means being provided with at least one pair of oppositely located grooves along opposite walls of said container for receiving partitions.

12. A transport and storage container having a bottom wall and side walls integral with said bottom wall and folded up relative to said bottom wall so as to form a box open at the top, which includes reinforcing rigid frame means arranged near the upper edge of the thus formed container, and connecting means detachably connecting said frame means to said side walls, one of the side walls of said container having a cutout and being inclined to form a sight.

13. A container according to claim 12, which includes a gate for closing said sight.

14. A container according to claim 12, in which the lower portion of said gate is provided with a laterally protruding stud of oblong cross-section, and in which said reinforcing frame means is provided with a cutout having a reduced entrance opening for said stud, said stud being adapted to enter and leave said last-mentioned cutout through said opening in two positions only of said stud relative to said opening.

15. A transport and storage container having a bottom wall and side walls integral with said bottom Wall and folded up relative to said bottom wall so as to form a box open at the top, which includes reinforcing rigid frame means arranged near the upper edge of the thus formed container, and connecting means detachably connecting said frame means to said side walls, the connecting means being formed by pin means detachably connecting the reinforcing frame means to said side walls, and foil means lining the inner surface of all of said Wall means of said container, said foil means being connected to the respective wall means by said pin means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,231,368 6/1917 Jaszkul 22073 1,363,984 12/1920 Leiman 217 1,514,993 11/ 1924 Schmitz 220-73 2,578,644 12/1951 Mautner 21765 3,044,658 7/1962 Combs et a1. 217-69 XR DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

